HONOLULU -- The big debate raging in Washington these days is over which country poses the greater threat: North Korea or Iraq (with some throwing Iran into the mix, just to keep the old "axis of evil" intact).
The answer is simple: North Korea poses the greater potential and actual threat today. It possesses chemical and biological weapons, and a worst-case analysis credits Pyongyang with up to two nuclear devices as well. Even without these weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs, North Korea still poses the greatest threat because of its ability to inflict great damage on Seoul. The South Korean capital is within range of thousands of North Korean conventional missiles, rockets and long-range artillery pieces.
But this does not mean Washington should stop putting pressure on Iraq and start waving a reinforced big stick in North Korea's direction. Nor should the lack of saber-rattling by Washington lead one to the conclusion that the North Korean "crisis" (even if not identified as such) is being ignored.